Force Not!

If someone came up to us, and ordered us to breathe within the next 20 minutes, would we be forced to comply?

If we were told to allow gravity to prevent us from floating up 15 feet into the air within the next ten seconds, would we be forced to obey?

If a woman calls up a man on the phone to come over to her private house or apartment, lets him in, is scantily attired or becomes that way of her own doing, allows him to hug her and kiss her lips, then massage her arms and legs, then begin to fondle underneath her clothes with her not objecting, then undress her and she him, can he seriously be accused of forced non-solicited molestation and taking indecent liberties against her will?

Did God the Creator force us to come into existence when we were conceived in the womb?

After all, we did not ask to be born.

Some things are in our power to decide as to whether or not we want to do something, or have something happen to us. Other things are not, and beyond our control.

Choosing whatever we want to do involves the capacity of free will - which some cultic lutherans and their ilk seem to have difficulty contemplating and/or accepting as part of reality. Baptists seem to have an easier time embracing the concept.

Oftentimes, it is NOT a matter of ability to do whatever we choose to do, but rather what we desire to do - whether or not we can do whatever we want.

When asked: "Why would you do something like that?" we need to answer the first part of that compound (or loaded) question with: "Would I do something like that?" and after that we can get to the second part of "Why" we would or would not do it.

Whenever we are asked why we did or did not do whatever, our terse but practical response might be: "Because I can. And, furthermore, I want to do what I can."

Now, to cut some slack for Lutherans, the following is (admittedly) part of Scripture:

Romans 7:5 For when we "were" in "the flesh," [wicked] passions of [naughty] sins, which were [aroused] by [demand to not be naughty coming from] the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit for death [not quite, and not right away, usually].
6 But now we are delivered from the [condemnation of disobeying but not required holy living defined by] law, being dead [not quite, and not right away, usually] wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of [obedient] spirit, and not in the oldness of the [cannot save us nor atone against our past sins] letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid [or, Heck no]! No, I would not have known sin [what sin was] , but through the law; for I would not have known lust [what lust was], except that the law had said, "You shall [must] not covet."
8 But [my own Eve-like rebellious desire to naughtily] sin [committed by me albeit under duress for which I was responsible for which I am in one sense liable to be blamed], taking occasion through the commandment [to not be naughty], wrought in me all manner of deviance; for without [knowledge of what] the law [was] [enticement] to sin [be naughty] was dead.
9 For I was [metaphorically] "alive" [so to speak, with clean conscience] apart from [my allowing myself to be enticed to] sin [be naughty] law, but when [my allowing myself to be enticed to] sin [be naughty] commandment came, [my allowing myself to be enticed to] sin [be naughty] revived and I [metaphorically] "died" [acquired a guilty conscience, the consequences from which got worse]
10 and the commandment which was ordained to bring life, I found to [incite me to] death.
11 For [my allowing myself to be enticed to] sin, taking occasion by the commandment, [empty promises of actually-non-satisfying sinful pleasure] deceived me and by that [demand to not be naughty] [metaphorically] "slew" [defiled] me.
12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. [Thanks, Paul, for at least recognizing that and giving the law at least that much credit]
13 Was then that [the law of commandments] which is good make death against me? God forbid [Hell no]! But [my allowing myself to be enticed to] sin, that it might appear as [my allowing myself to be enticed to][sinfully be defiled], was working death [or at least increasing guilt and more and more incapacitating or handicapping disability] in me by that which is good, that [my allowing myself to be enticed to sin] by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am [only at times] carnal, "sold" under sin. [merchandizing?]
15 For that which I do, I approve not [at times, only]. For what I would do, that do I not [only at times]; but what I hate, that I do [Only every so often. You do do some good at least once in a while, Paul].
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent to the law that it is good [admit that the law of commandments is good even though and whenever I frequently-or-infrequently disobey the law of commandments].
17 Now then it is no more I that do it [Oh yes it is you who disobey the law at times, Paul! Don't try to excuse yourself, or pass the buck even though you sinned under duress] but [my allowing myself to be enticed to sin] which resides in me. [Don't try to excuse yourself, or pass the buck even though you sinned under duress]
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my "flesh") [quit despising your God-given body, and do not abuse it] resides no ["No?"] good thing [don't go overboard on that one, Paul, because sometimes you do do some good]; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not [Oh, come on. It is not that hard, Paul. Simply choose to be good instead of choosing to do evil].
19 For the good that I would do, I do not; but the evil which I would not do, that I do. [Here we go again. We've been through all that before, and already explained it].
20 Now if I do that which I would not do, it is no more I that do it, but [my allowing myself to be enticed to sin] that resides in me. [We've been through all that before, and already explained it].
21 I find then a law that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. [Twist it around a bit, again, but we've been through all that before, and already explained it]
22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. [Hey HEY!]
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of [my allowing myself to be enticed to sin] which is in my members. [We've been through all that before, and already explained it]
24 Oh wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this "death"? [Why not leave "death" out of it? Do NOT exaggerate. You're still alive and haven't yet become a corpse in the morgue or cemetery, buddy.]
25 I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. [For the last time, we've been through all that before, and already explained it].

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh (?), but according to the (?) Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of desire to sin flesh, and for sin, condemned desire to sin in the desire to sin flesh,
4 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to desire to sin flesh, but according to "the" (?) Spirit.
5 For those who are according to desire to sin flesh mind the things of the flesh; but those who are according to "the" (?) Spirit, the things of "the" (?) Spirit.
6 For to be desire to sin-intentioned is death, but to be "spiritually" (?) minded is life and peace,
7 because desire to sin intention is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the desire to sin flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in desire to sin flesh, but in "the" (?) Spirit, if so it be that the Spirit of God (Oh, the Spirit of GOD) resides in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ [Finally, "the" Spirit is defined!], he is none of His.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead [not completely, since it does not lie six feet underground yet] because of desire to sin flesh, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead resides in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit who resides in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to desire to sin flesh,
13 for if ya'all live according to desire to sin flesh ya'all shall die, but if ya'all through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ya'all shall live.

Castigating "the body" and "deeds" done therewith? How degrading! (?)

And what are the manifestations of that "flesh" (whatever the duce THAT is)?

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit,
21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the desire to sin flesh [assuredly, the word: "crucified" obviously being a euphemism] with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
26 Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another.

Oh. Now we understand what is meant by that metaphorical abstraction called: "the flesh."

It is lamentable (in one sense) that the Spirit, through Saint Paul (the human author), seemingly equated the word "flesh" with obviously-sinful and despicable evil thoughts and actions.

Why that is is because of the (perhaps-needless?) confusion which associates human-bodies-are-obviously-necessary-for-human-survival, beautiful nude-for-sex human flesh . . . exclusively and only with various types of clearly-corrupt heresies and misbehavior.

Could not a different word than "flesh" have been used?

Even Jesus Himself had flesh (whether or not He correspondingly manifested "works of the flesh" also):

Hebrews 5:7 Christ, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared

Actually, in some translations, the word "flesh" has [thankfully?] been replaced with the FAR-more understandable phrase: "sinful nature."

That of course would not fit as a replacement phrase for Hebrews 5:7 mentioned above!

So, we are caught in the proverbial 'horns of a dilemma.'

Be that as it is. Nothing is perfect. Especially our pathetic English language.

So, has God the Creator forced us to be born with bodies of "flesh" instead of mere hocus-pocus/voodoo-superstition "spirits?"

Not really, because being "forced" definitely has the connotation that free will was violated.

Such was not the case of our coming into existence at conception. Nothing was violated, because there was no free will of ours previously existing to violate. Now that we have come into existence with our God-given free will, we can consider the possibility of that free will of ours used to be either for or against something - regardless (and, listen up, you lutherans!) of the Source of that something.

Some lutherans have mis-reasoned that we cannot actively seek God, but only that He seeks us. They do admit that we can either accept or reject His claim for us. Well - guess what - if that is not a matter of exercising free-will choice on our part in that decision, I do not know what it otherwise would be considered or called!

If we could not choose to either accept or reject God wanting to claim us and to cooperate with Him, we would all mindlessly conform like zombie robots enslaved and locked in with pre-programmed response, and we would all (of necessity) get to Heaven - whether we liked that or not, and whether we wanted to or not.

It has been said that "we are justified by faith apart from works of the law." Paradoxically, it has also been said that "we are justified by works, not by faith alone."

The quasi-contradiction of the two statements above is resolved in Christ, understanding that both faith and works are mere means to an end, and that neither His perfect Divine faith nor our imperfect human faith saves or justified us . . . nor His perfect Divine works nor our imperfect human works saves or justifies us . . . but instead: Christ's atonement of Himself when applied to us (through our compliant belief or trust or faith substantiated by our compliant works) both saves and justifies us in terms of expiating for and absolving our past sins.

Faith and works are both necessary in the process of salvation, but it is the Lord and His own self-sacrifice for us that both justifies and saves us, ultimately.

Even though:

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation, neither shadow of turning . . .

. . . which includes both our non-reliable human "saving" faith [in Christ] AND our non-reliable human good and evil "saving" works [done in Christ] . . .

our OWN personal sovereign choice is the mechanism God gave us to use to either reject His atonement for us or instead accept it so that it in fact actually applies to us.

Money in the bank in our name is useless for paying bills unless we actively go and draw it out to pay those bills. And the banker will NOT pay our bills for us [to whoever for whatever amounts] automatically unless we ask him to.

All of us should realize the reality of human choice pertaining to what the Creator created within our environment which we did ask to be put into.

Such human choice is not something of our own concoction, nor is it an exhibition of human cockiness or arrogance or anti-godly self-reliance. It is instead a matter of just the way such is, as a given.

We are not forced to reside in seasonably frigid Minnesota which more or less requires (if not essentially forces) the sane and sensible to be modestly attired as to armwear and legwear and footwear outdoors during the winter months. If we presume that we are forced to be dressed decently during winter months in Minnesota or some similar climate to not promptly die of frostbite, we ourselves have chosen to be so "forced" by willfully continuing to reside in Minnesota during the previously-designated season.

Actually, the created environmental phenomena the Lord has put everyone into on this VERY-pleasant planet (compared to other VERY-inhospitable celestial bodies above in space) is NOT at all one big violation against our free will choice to be so benevolently consigned to Earth's agreeable conditions.

God has benignly placed us all in His planetary "playing field" of Earth, and His environmental phenomena we experience are likewise benign and do not in any way "force" us to participate and continue to participate.

True, Earth's "playing field" has referees, yard lines, penalty possibilities, yard-line demarcations, and goal posts . . . . . . and God wants us to play the game. And to win (with the goal of Paradise in mind).

IF - for some insane cause (and not "reason") - we no longer want to play the game of life, and no longer interact within God's earthly benign playing field, self-murder and non-forgivable suicide is an option (albeit an irreparably-damnable one).

In the case of our eventual demise, and unlike the situation of us becoming existent for the first time at conception which we had no choice as to what we had to come into from there on) the Lord has given us who now live a choice as to which of the two vastly-different environments we choose Him to place us into in the next life and for all eternity non-ending (which is either Heaven, with all associated therewith - or instead Hell, with all associated therewith).

Consider our free-will choice like starting a free car, donated to us without cost by The Great Car Dealer in the Sky (i.e. God). The Luthefiskerans will appreciate this one.

God provided the car, its operational parts (including fresh 12-volt battery, new starter, tightly-connected starter cable, clean spark plugs, electronic ignition, and so forth), and the car key. He has even placed the car key into our hand, and set us in the driver's seat. Not only that, He has had our hand stick the car key into the ignition switch and enabled our hand to turn the key within that switch. He has given us a brain to realize our capability to use our senses and mind and will to cause our non-crippled hand to turn the key in that ignition switch to start the car and drive it.

All we have to do is want to do it, and the rest of it all happens more or less automatically from there on.

Salvation by penitently believing the gospel of Christ's redemptive bloody atonement done for us on some cross over in the Middle East nearly 2000 years ago to cancel the penalty of all our sins is like that.

Similar to that analogy is a drowning man being approached by a small motorized fishing boat in which is a fisherman recognizing the life-threatening situation of the needing-to-be-rescued victim. The man in the water is too weak to even grab a life preserver thrown to him, but he is not too weak to respond to a loud query from the fisherman regarding whether the floundering man ready to sink is willing to let the fisherman scoop him up into the boat with his oversized fishing net.

It would be in that [Lutheran] drowning man's best interests [who cannot by his own reason or strength undrown himself] to give the fisherman at least a very feeble affirmative response.

First Chronicles 16:10 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

Psalm 9:10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, Oh LORD, have not rejected those who seek you.
Psalm 17:7 Wondrously show your continual love, Oh Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.
Psalm 22:26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever!

Psalm 24:4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully.
Psalm 24:5 He will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation.
Psalm 24:6 Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Psalm 34:10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 69:6 Let not those who hope in you be shamed through me, Oh Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, Oh God of Israel.
Psalm 105:3 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
Proverbs 28:5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.

Song of Solomon 3:4 Scarcely had I passed them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you humans of double mind.

Salvation by penitently believing the gospel of Christ's redemptive bloody atonement done for us on some cross over in the Middle East nearly 2000 years ago to cancel the penalty of all our sins is like that.